If so, then it's possible you've already seen the MonaVie EMV mention is Harper's Bazaar "Holiday Survival Guide." There's a link to the story on On the Move if you haven't. We're mentioned about slide 14. Oh, and the cover is Bella and Edward from Twilight if you were wondering where that fit in.

Now I must pose the question - what keeps you going through the holidays? For me it's lighting the fireplace (and by lighting I mean flipping the switch that makes the fireplace magically light up. It's magic right? Right?) and sipping hot cocoa. Also, any opportunity to flex my shopping muscles gets me through anything quite well.

What about you?

Share this story with friends and contacts and further boost the Holiday Gift Pack sales over these merry weeks. Too self promotional? Well, tis the season right! Plus, those gift packs are mighty pretty. Just sayin'.

You can also RT (retweet) our mention on Twitter, "Check out the Harper's Bazaar 'Holiday Survival Guide.' MonaVie EMV is a must have (slide 14). How do you survive the season?"

We have highlighted the Cannondale team a couple times this week, which is a good segue to talking about all things healthy, namely exercise, diet and lifestyle. It’s also important to be aware of obesity and its impact on our society. I’m not going to tell you to go rent Super Size Me but like I said, it is important that we are aware, namely because living healthy and subsequently the side effects of not living healthy comes up in our conversations all the time. Here are few interesting links to consider:

Finally, a compelling study discussing obesity and how it hinders success when trying to reduce heart disease risk: Link

“Despite focused public health efforts, there is no net improvement in the overall cardiovascular risk factor profile over the past two decades in the U.S. population,” said Kami Banks, M.D., M.P.H., lead investigator of the study and a cardiology research fellow in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Banks is calling on the medical community to put more emphasis on prevention to reverse the obesity trend.

Looking Ahead

More details on the MonaVie Holiday Gift Packs will be coming your way soon. Check your inbox.

We have some fun guest blog posts coming your way too, in addition to more behind the scenes and teasers galore. Because we like to tease. Okay, okay, I like to tease.

Listen to Others- One of the first things users should do before contributing, is to listen, see how others post, look at what information is interesting to you and see how you fit into the conversation and community. Listen to the people commenting on your Facebook page or Tweeting at you. Understand where they’re coming from. You don’t know everything, and you can learn from others if you take the time to listen.

Shout out to Jake Wilson on our MonaVie Facebook Fan page and @JoyMikhael on Twitter for posting the comments that prompted this post. It was the following questions left on Facebook and Twitter that got me thinking, which is always a good thing first thing in the morning:

Jake Wilson have you guys considered making an app of the virtual office for the iphone and other smart phones? Yesterday at 2:46pm

First off, both awesome ideas are ones I want to hear more about from our fans and followers; and second, what a great platform to start such conversations! Keep it up you smart people.

Yesterday, our guest post by MonaVie Public Relations Manager Julie Jenkins was ended with a call to action; that call to action being to submit those great story ideas to her either via comments, feedback or tweets or to simply email her at media@monavie.com.

I encourage you to take Ms. Julie Jenkins up on her offer. You may think, “Oh, I’m not sure my idea is worthwhile.” Um, trust me, it is and here at headquarters we value your ideas more than you realize. It is your ideas, as distributors and general audience of MonaVie, that spur action on our part. I mean, wasn’t MonaVie just an idea in Founder and CEO Dallin Larsen’s head? What would have happened if he never shared that glorious idea? You got it. Nothing would have happened. And then where would we all be? You don't have to answer that.

In addition, all those ideas about products, don't think we don't read every one and then document all of them for further conversation.

So please, open those brains and share it! Unless that hurts too much and then I'd say drink a couple ounces of MonaVie...and then open those brains and share those ideas. We’re so interested. Who knows if that idea looming in your head right now is the next idea that will take MonaVie, and your business, to that billion-dollar mark?

In conclusion, those light bulbs, aha moments and other fabulous ideas are only as good as how open you are with sharing them. Consider your corporate staff your ready audience and BlogMV,Facebook and Twitter your platforms.

As public relations manager at MonaVie, I’ve found that our best news stories often begin with a telephone call from one of you. In fact, around this time last year I received a call from a producer at the prime time hit television show, CBS The Doctors. As an enthusiastic user and distributor of MonaVie, the producer was eager to include our product on the show: “We are always covering health trends and I’d like to discuss the MonaVie product with you.”

Planning for the show commenced, and The Doctors asked us to send samples of MonaVie. The show is filmed at Paramount Pictures in front of a live audience of 200, and we jumped at the chance to introduce our new product, MonaVie Pulse, to cast and crew members.

On the day before taping, I received a frenzied call from a production assistant…the product hadn’t arrived. I was panicked! Where could the shipment be? As it turned out, the truck was being held at the gates at Paramount Pictures—security wouldn’t let it through. A short phone call later, and after a smooth intervention by the production assistant, we were in. Password? MonaVie.

The segment aired on Wednesday, January 7, and thousands of viewers tuned in to see The Doctors name MonaVie and the acai berry among the “Top Health Trends for 2009.” Reigning in at No. 7 on the list, hosts extolled the benefits of acai and its antioxidant benefits. It couldn’t have been a better moment to kick off the New Year.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time here at MonaVie, it’s that our distributors have some pretty amazing connections. You open doors for us. It’s not surprising that so many of our news stories begin with a simple telephone call. I’m here to share the MonaVie story, and I’d love to share yours.

Think you have a great story idea? Leave me a message in the comments section, or email media@monavie.com.

Maybe They’re Just Not That Into You – If you are constantly pushing your business, views and asking for help without giving back, you will find yourself with very few friends and even fewer receptive to what you have to say.

First off, let me just say I’m updating Blog MV from 37,000 feet in the sky! Which totally reminds me of this funny YouTube clip of Comedian Louis C.K. Technology, what will you think of next?

I’m off to NYC for the Web 2.0 conference, where I will be learning all about social media – I’ll check in with all the goodness as soon as I get a chance. In the meantime, check out two other very important blogs in the MonaVie family.

The first is the Cannondale blog, located at http://monavie-cannondale.com/, where you’ll get the latest racing schedule, vlogs, race day updates and philanthropic ventures.

Finally, there is one more stop on this fun filled adventure. We’ll be spotlighting some awesome coverage of MonaVie Founder and CEO Dallin Larsen, recent winner of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the Emerging Company category. Check out the live Twitter feeds from Saturday’s real time updates during the awards show. We’ll post more here, On the Move, as well as, on Twitterand Facebook as soon as we have those stories from the press.

Build Quality Relationships - People are more willing to help those who they really know. By building quality relationships with other users, you’ll always have someone in your corner to back you up. Remember, relationships require the participation of both parties; so, be a good participant in your social media relationship.

Be YOU!! – Instead of using your favorite superhero’s name (or MonaVie – see your policy and procedures), why not use a variation of your own name? You are a person first…not a brand. Use a picture of yourself (a good one) on your profile page, not a logo. Remember that social media is about being authentic, and if you are a distributor of MonaVie, then go ahead and reveal it in your bio. Be upfront, so there’s no question of who you are, what you do and what company you represent.

Let's Get Connected

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